Message from the Board Chair Image

Message from the Board Chair

By Christina Crowe | December 05, 2022

Elan MacDonald, ICD.D portrait of brunette woman

I have had the honour of serving as Board Chair of the Real Estate Council of Alberta for the past two months. While it has been a steep learning curve as I become more familiar with the various issues facing this diverse and integral Alberta industry, I have hit the ground running dealing with a number of important and timely matters, such as condominium licensing.

For those who may have missed the communication regarding my appointment, my name is Elan MacDonald, and I was appointed Board Chair on October 1, 2022 by the Minister of Service Alberta. I want to take this time to thank Deputy Minister David James for his admirable work serving as Interim Board Chair over this past Spring and Summer, particularly as RECA approved its Business and Financial Plan and its Strategic Plan during his tenure. These two documents set RECA’s strategic direction moving forward and had to be carefully considered as RECA enters a new financial reality without revenues from licensing education. I also want to thank David for his tremendous support during my transition into the role.

I would also like to thank my fellow Board members, the Industry Council members, and RECA’s senior staff for making my transition as the new Board Chair go as smoothly as possible.

RECA will soon undertake one of its most crucial activities to date with its comprehensive review of the Real Estate Act Rules. The Board recently created a Rules Review Steering Committee, chaired by Neil McCrank, a former Deputy Minister in the Justice Ministry, and a legislation and governance expert. The rest of the committee will be made up of industry representatives from the Industry Councils. Engagement on the Rules Review is set to begin soon, and I encourage all stakeholders to take part. Self-regulation is an amazing privilege, but it only works when stakeholders take an active role.

As the new Chair, I want to re-affirm RECA’s commitment to meaningful stakeholder engagement, and timely and transparent communication. This is a cornerstone of RECA’s Strategic Plan, and I will continue to make every effort to champion this philosophy and strategic direction.

I look forward to continuing to work closely with my fellow Board members, the Industry Councils, RECA staff, and the industries it regulates to ensure they continue to thrive in the public interest.